All of a sudden, thanks to the lineup and Matt Cain, all is quiet in Giants-land. The road trip is forgotten and the Giants seem back on track. A couple other preseason N.L. contenders are dealing with rockier times. Until seeing this clip, I didn’t realize just how close the Giants were to losing. Bryce Harper should make this catch:

Advertisement

His closer thought so, too. Rafael Soriano told Jorge Ortiz of USA Today that: “With two outs and the tying run at first, you have to play the outfield so the ball doesn’t go over your head.

“It may not have been a catch-able ball, but if we’re positioned the right way, there might have been a different outcome. With two outs, I could tell my four-year-old son, ‘You know where you need to play,’ and he would have positioned himself better. It’s not an excuse, and I’m not speaking badly about anybody, but I think that’s how you play the game.”

Even more shots are being fired in Milwaukee, where the Dodgers are playing the Brewers. Don Mattingly benched Andre Ethier against a right-handed pitcher, saying: “I’m putting out my lineup that I feel is going to be the most competitive and going to compete the hardest.”

Mattingly told Dodgers beat writers that the team has to compete harder.

“There has to be a mixture of competitiveness. It’s not ‘Let’s put an All-Star team together and the All-Star team wins.’ It’s finding that balance of a team that has a little bit of grit and will fight you. And also having talent to go with it. All grit and no talent isn’t going to make you successful. But all talent and no grit isn’t going to get you there either.”

We better not be headed toward a platoon situation with Belt and Pill. Pill is a 29 year old career minors leaguer who will or pan out in the long run. Why allow him to take at bats from one of Giants best hitters?

giantswon

Belt has not become that consistent hitter even with all of the opportunities. Pill deserves a few chances. Who knows he might be being show cased for a trade.

Richard in Winnipeg

giantsfan2 says:
May 22nd, 2013 at 10:50 am 1..We should appreciate what we have here in SF Giants. 2 out of last 3 world champions. Try being a Giants fan as I was in the late 70′s into mid 80′s when they sucked.

Amen from 62 year old Giant’s fan since my father taught me the Giant way in the 1960’s. Amen!

Bapah

Redux.

Here’s a drill to try next time you have a young infielder you’re working with. Matty W. used to take balls at short with a ping pong paddle attached to a batting glove instead of a regular mitt. THAT’s how you develop soft hands.

I may be wrong about the batting glove, it may have been just elastic bands.

Erin Roand

I’d bet he’d never admit it but I think that play where Harper smashed into the wall in Dodger stadium has him a little spooked. It clearly looks like he was bracing himself for a fraction of a second before he realized he hadn’t even hit the warning track.

The Oracle

Brett Pill seems like a good guy, but I can’t stand when he’s up because Bochy can’t resist using his non-sensical platoon. Granted, Pill has not been in the Big Leagues very long, but during his time he’s hit only .217 against righthanders. Last season, he hit .200 against RHP with 2HRs in 75 ABs. Pill would be fine as a bat off the bench, with a very occasional start, but that’s not Bochy uses him. Hopefully, someone will ask Bochy if the platoon is now officially in effect.

Richard in Winnipeg

Full Name: Brett Michael Pill
Born: 09/09/1984

Give him a chance>

Bapah

Get Brandon OUT of the eight-hole. Just stupid.

Sam

Erin Roand,

Harper in fact did admit that the play in LA went through his mind yesterday.

Yes Jeff Carter was bfore Sherry Davis (don’t think it was Adams) Jeff was at the Stick a LONG time. Great baritone voice ala Mr. Shepard.

Let’s see Jeff Kent Marco or Robby? I’ll RoShamBo and live with the results.

#9 Matty #48 Pandavol – 1 coin flip and I will “suffer” again either choice.

Giants Fans: We/I are TRULY BLESSED. Just look at who has played for “our TEAM”

Bapah

At 29? Give him a chance? Where’s he been for six years? If it’s a showcase, maybe. If not, don’t waste my time.

Sam

TO,

Why post Pill stats against RHP when he is starting against a LHP?

EricR

@10:58

Since 4/22 (one month ago) Belt has hit .305/.387/.585 and reached base in 23 of those 27 games. That seems like remarkably consistent hitting to me.

This season he has a 111 wRC+. His career line? 112. That seems like a guy who is hitting pretty consistently, and slightly above average for his position.

I’m not really sure what “consistent hitter” means I guess. There will be games where a guy takes an 0’fer.

ClutchUp

Dave@1037

Don’t buy a Lotto ticket. You’ll never win. You van name your winnings if what you said comes true. Pure hyperbole.

WHERE did THAT nugget fall out of your brain?

-smh-

EricR

Those are Pill’s numbers against LHP, I think Oracle mispoke.

Pill has a .217/.272/.368 line against LHP.
Belt has a .266/.330/.448 line against LHP.

GiantDuck

Sheeesh! Everyone’s so up in arms because a backup first baseman is getting a start. Chill. Why aren’t you just as worried about Arias starting for Panda? Bench players need an occasional start.

And I agree with Bapah. What’s Crawford doing hitting eighth? Move him up.

The Oracle

With regard to Belt’s consistency…since April 16th, he’s .303/.372/.535/.907 with 6 HRs and 20 RBI in 99 ABs. He hit .349 last August and ,316 in September of 2012. Even if you include his 6-43 to start this season, which was at least partly due to his illness and weight loss, he’s hitting .296 since August of last season. On top of all that, he’s now starting to hit with power. His pace over the last 100 ABs would amount to about 30 HRS over a full season. He’s been pretty consistent and is only going to get better as he gains experience. He doesn’t need to be platooned with Pill.

Sam

Belt sealed his fate for today’s start with his performance yesterday.

ClutchUp

The Oracle

This isn’t a platoon today. Its BP6 hitting against Gio. The character on this TEAM is superb. They all pull for one another.

Arias was gonna play SS bcause Pablo’s a switch hitter but Panda is ILL so Arias slides to 3base.

@Bapah: vs Gio, hitting 8th is correct for Crawls.

Sam

Did you include the 9 for 49 postseason?

The Oracle

I don’t think you can conclude at this point that Pill’s starts will be “occasional.” So far, he’s been on the roster for two left handed starters and has been in the lineup both times.

Bapah

Oooooooo, “Betancout took anti-inflammatory shot in right groin” I’m with Baggs, he’s a better man than me.

Bapah

What’s your reasoning, Cloach?

ClutchUp

Sam

Yesterday had zero to do with Pill playing today. Closet detracors come in all sizes (and different board names)

Vs. Gio go Rhanded as much as po$$ible.

Pick a LU out of ones neck = guarantees zilch.

Yogi Barrister

Harper did flinch, no doubt because he hit the wall in LA. Still, Soriano is responsible for blowing the save. That was a shot to the gap, it would have been a great catch, had he made it. It’s not cool when pitchers blame teammates for their own failures.
The situation with Mattingly is a little different, but that should have been said behind closed doors. Despite statements to the contrary, it appears the Dogers are going to have a new manager soon.

Sam

@CSNBaggs: Brandon Belt has a sore back but could play. Bochy said it makes sense to start Pill against a tough lefty, not push Belt.

The Oracle

Alex tweets that Belt’s back is supposedly “sore.” I’m currently breathing into a paper bag.

Sam

There you go Belt lovers.

dgg

Alex reports:

“Bochy said Belt’s back is a little tight, nothing serious but it made sense to rest him with Pill here.”

ClutchUp

Bapah: Crawls says “hitting” there is tough” – but he consentrates harder knowing he’s got to help turn the LU over….

Or…

Once the starter is removed (Bum) there is no pitcher hitting behind him … Or…

Bums a good hitting Pitcher … Or

Crawls is the most “comfortable” of todays guys – hitting in the tough 8 hole.

YMMV…

dgg

Good Grief. Sometimes the as$umptions run rampant, especially when it comes to Belt.

Monster (Home Run)

Whenever I think of Arias playing 3rd, I get all jittery thinking of that last out in Cain’s perfecto. Wow was that incredible seeing him stagger backwards after grabbing the sharply hit grounder, then righting himself and throwing a laser to Belt to end it.

Arias para siempre!

ClutchUp

1126Yogi +++++++

Soriano punked Bryce. You NEVER talk out of school. Deportes reports always run the ball out of the stadium. Soriano’s four yr old “knows where to play”

Sorry, Cloach, doesn’t compute. He isn’t comfortable if he doesn’t have a bat in his hand. It may be a little better today with a decent hitting pitcher in, but to my eyes, Craw is one of the, if not THE, most improved hitters going on the team. [He’s looking very Scoots-type hitterish lately] His approach is more upright, his bat speed has improved dramatically, and he’s seeing the ball better from standing taller (although he’s crouching a little more lately). I hate to see him getting pitched around. In some ways someone like Torres (especially if he were more consistent) as a switch hitter with speed is better in the 8 hole. If you walk him, you’ve just created more pressure on your battery and your infield. Craw will be a RBI guy, but not if he doesn’t have a bat in his hand.

Gray Whale

If Dodgers get a new manager, at least Donnie Baseball went down swinging. And he has always swung well.

Sam

Michael Crabtree tore Achilles. Maybe out for season

Bapah

Why should Mattingly get fired? He’s telling the truth.

Keep’n It Real

“Michael Crabtree tore Achilles. Maybe out for season”

On the last year of his rookie contract. Karma.

Mark

Assumptions run rampant with Belt because he has had to look over his shoulder his entire career and he is currently one of the most productive hitters on this team including against LHP. We don’t need a guy to replace Belt once a week and come off the bench with his career .282 OBP. We can find lots of guys with career .282 OBPs who can come off the bench with some speed and play multiple positions. This leads one to conclude that Pill is on the roster to play more than the occasional game at 1b. 29 year olds don’t suddenly find it.

Chris Brown the DodgerH8ter

hey I just got an iDouche Phone and want to listen to the Giants broadcasts on KNBR. Can I do that without a MLB subscription? iHeart radio streams KNBR but not he games. Booooooo Whats the dealio?

Bapah

Sam, I recently completely severed my Achilles and in slightly less than six months I was completely healed. And I’m really old! Rehab routines today are quite remarkable, he might be able to do it better than you think. In some ways an incomplete tear can be worse than a complete one. There’s still things that can be done and surprisingly it’s more common in athletics than you might think.

Sam

Nope. MLB owns the rights. If you want to listen to the game on your phone, need to get the MLB At- Bat app. It’s 19.99 yearly.

You won’t be able to get the games with radio app like KNBR or I Heart

Sam

Bapah,

That’s why it says maybe out for season.

Bapah

Just trying to give a different perspective. Until it happened to me I would have been pretty discouraged about such an outcome.

Can’t wait for Colorado series for the new reasons why giving Pill starts makes sense

Mark

Eric R-

That is funny. Why is Pill on this roster?

kyle Perizi

Will it be Magic who gives Don Baseball the ” Kiss of Death, ” or some other member of the dogier ownership syndicate ? Will this kiss include an embrace ? Cheek or lip ? Somebody has to take the rap for the dodgiers’ situation and everyone knows the ownership isn’t going to fire themselves.

The dodgiers’ season is shaping up to one of the all time ” Scuttle Jobs, ” of recent history. It’s great to know that things will have to get worse for that franchise before they get better.

Kershaw can’t help but think on wether or not he should resign with a team in such a mess. Kershaw re upping on his next contract with the dodjiers is something that is now in serious doubt.

Chris Brown the DodgerH8ter

Thanks Sam!

DPassovoy

what a scary combo today a jumpy Posey and the sliding Pence?

BAFan

Pill was absolutely raking it in Fresno. Classic case of he’s done all he can do in AAA and needs to be up here. Maybe trade bait if he shows us something?

He’s not being platooned, he’s been one of the best hitters on the team over the past month, there is no reason for the Giants to platoon him now.

Whereas before, he would be struggling and then the Giants would give him some downtime to work on his hitting. The Giants have handled him pretty consistently if people would pay attention to how Belt was doing at the time they wasn’t playing him. He would be struggling with one aspect of his game or another when he got sat.

Pill is up here because he has done OK in a bench role for the team and brings power to the bench, which is usually not available.

He has done a great job hitting in AAA and clearly is too good for that league, but unfortunately, there are AAAA players who prove to be too good for AAA but not good enough for MLB. We don’t know what he is right now.

If he can hit well enough in the majors, he could push Belt to start in LF, in essence replacing the LF platoon of Blanco/Torres with Pill at 1B, who is a very good defensive 1Bman (and Belt played OF before as an amateur and has done OK in very limited chances in the MLB). Hence why the Giants keep him around, he’s not that old to break out and contribute as a cheap complementary player on the roster.

This could be important in 2014 should we lose Pence to free agency, as they could shuffle Belt to LF, Blanco/Torres to RF, and play Pill at 1B. That would also mean that Belt plays most games instead of sitting to allow Posey at 1B, Pill being the unknown could start less games at 1B in favor of Posey, depending on how well he does. Without Pill, we can’t pull off this move, nobody is ready to take over 1B in the majors.

The Giants love Belt. That is why they selected him in the draft (over draft) and worked with him to change his batting, long before any prospect hound or Giants fan ever heard of him because most draft experts were scratching their heads on why the Giants drafted him so early, they did not think much of his talent then.

After the Giants changed him (and he, to his credit, allowed them to change him) and he became the great prospect he turned out to be, that’s when Giants fans and prospect experts suddenly think that they know and love Belt better than the Giants do. They don’t.

http://www.okeyburda.com okey

He has done a great job hitting in AAA and clearly is too good for that league, but unfortunately, there are AAAA players who prove to be too good for AAA but not good enough for MLB. We don’t know what he is right now.